Don Tancredo

[1] It consisted of a person, who plays the part of Don Tancredo, who waits for the bull whilst standing on a pedestal located in the middle of the bullring.

He had to remain quiet in order to (supposedly) make the bull believe the person was a statue and therefore not attack him because of fear of the hardness of marble.

The origin of this practice is uncertain, although there are several sources that affirm that a Spanish bullfighter of little fortune named Tancredo López began this show as a desperate attempt to gain money in the late 19th century.

Normally the Tancredo was played by desperate people who need to make easy money and who had little to lose, since the catches that took place were numerous.

One of the most popular appearances of Don Tancredo is interpreted by the Spanish actor Fernando Fernán Gómez in the film El inquilino.